However, his attorneys, Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson, in a statement, said the actor has the right to be seen as innocent until proven guilty.

The statement read: “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked.

“Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defence.”